[OS X TeX] paths in input & include

[Alain Schremmer]

Peter Dyballa wrote:

>
> Am 12.02.2006 um 22:59 schrieb Alain Schremmer:
>
>> 2) I was wondering if, instead of having in the document
>>
>>    \include{FolderA/FolderB/File1}
>>
>> it would be possible to have in the preamble some sort of
>>
>>    \filespath{{./FolderA/FolderB/}}
>>
>> and then in the document just
>>
>>    \include{File1}
>
>
> No, this won't work. graphics.sty itself looks up the graphics files  
> to be included, as far as I understand the code.

*I* don't even try to read the code.

> I am still a bit flexible so *I* can adjust myself or my customs to  
> kind of inadequacies of a software -- up to some extent! 

I have to adjust and I do of course. The issue of course is that it 
slows me down and …

> Your  extension has some charm. Do you need more motivation to propose 
> it  to the TeX programmers?

I was afraid it might come to that. OK, here it is in as few words as I 
can manage.

    1) I am trying to offer a three semesters alternative to students
    who eventually wish to learn, say, differential calculus while still
    in need of arithmetic as they enter two-year colleges and who, as a
    result, usually face four to six semesters with a likely overall
    passing rate of the order of at most one or two percents. By the
    way, these seem to be at least 90% women.

    2) I embarked in the development of a three-part proto-text to
    present the ideas in some detail but, to quote David Hestenes,
    "Early in my career, I naively thought that if you give a good idea
    to competent mathematicians or physicists, they will work out its
    implications for themselves. I have learned since that most of them
    need the implications spelled out in utter detail."

    3) As a result, while I am still writing the proto-text, I have
    started an "implementation" for part 1 and part 3 which means a
    student-readable version, exercises, homework, and multiple choice
    exams.

What all this means is a huge number of tex-files as well as pdf-files.

    a) For instance, a given "lesson" is written in a file without
    preamble, called "7-EditAffineFunctions" whose project root is a
    file called "7-LessonAffineFunctions" that has the preamble and, in
    the document, just a header and a \include to call
    "7-EditAffineFunctions" so that I can have the current lesson
    printed for my students. Another advantage is that, as I work on
    "7-EditAffineFunctions" and typeset it, I get a short pdf. Of
    course, "7-LessonAffineFunctions" also has both a graphicspath for
    the many figures in "7-EditAffineFunctions"
    b) But "7-EditAffineFunctions" shares a lot of its figures with the
    more or less corresponding Chapter in the proto-text and elsewhere.
    c) To check continuity, I also have a file called "Book" which is
    just a preamble with graphicspaths and a \include for each lesson
    with or without including the ExerciseSets.
    d) All the "Edit" files are in one folder and all the "Lesson" files
    are in a separate folder.
    e} All the figures are in folders corresponding to the lessons that
    all sit in a FiguresFolder so that I can call them from all over
    without having to keep track of copies.
    f) And then, there are the Homework that use the exercise sets and
    the multiple-choice tests that use probsoln.sty on. QuestionFiles
    that call Exercise files so as to be able to typeset quickly what I
    am working on. Each in their folders.
    etc

So, yes, a \filespath{{./FolderA/FolderB/}} would be a blessing for me.

But of course, there remains the question of how many people, other than 
myself, are dealing with this particular kind of situation.

Regards
--schremmer



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